"Animals don't have emotions like you and I" said my mom.

That was my mom's reply when I finished my argument on why I'm going vegetarian about a year ago. She also tried to say they aren't smart like us. She, like many people, are completely clueless. But I proved her wrong because I brushed up on my facts:sunny:

I found out that:

Chickens form friendships and strong family bounds, they love their young and mourn over loss. Studies show they are as smart as mammals and can understand that recently hidden objects still exist, which a small human child can't understand, They can also recognize more than a hundred other chickens and remember them and have more than 30 types of vocalizations.

Pigs have the ability to be more sophisticated more than dogs and a lot more so then three-year-old humans. One study found that they can even learn to play simple video games. They naturally live in groups and express friendship with each other through vocalizing, body language, and the amount of time they spend with each other. Piglets like to play and chase one another, play fight, tumble down hills, and participate in other enjoyable activities just like human children. Pigs are very active, traveling up to 30 miles a day at a quick pace.

Cows are extremely gentle and affectionate animals, forming strong bonds with one another, particularly between mother and calf. Cows are herd animals and accustomed to doing things in groups. When dominant cows start grazing, the other cows will follow. That is why you will see the whole herd of cattle grazing at the same moment. Cattle have a distinct urge to lick and be licked by their peers. Social licking is often associated with a change of activities, such as before or after a rest. Licking seems to have a calming effect after cattle have been disturbed. Cattle need social grooming and if this need cannot be met because the animal is tethered or confined – the need accumulates and will result in intensified grooming activity as soon as the possibility arises.

Horses are highly social heard animals that prefer to live in a group. Horses are able to form companionship attachments not only to their own species, but with other animals, including humans. In fact, many domesticated horses will become anxious, flighty and hard to manage if they are isolated. Horses kept in near-complete isolation, particularly in a closed stable where they cannot see other animals may require a stable companion such as a cat, goat or even a small pony or donkey to provide company and reduce stress. Horses communicate in various ways, including vocalization such as nickering, squealing or whinnying; touch, through mutual grooming or nuzzling; smell; and body language. Horses can interpret the body language of other creatures, including humans. There are many studies that show the horse as having a highly effective memory. They can recall past experiences and react to them readily.

Cats feel five basic emotions: Fear, Grief, Jealousy, Anger and Love. This is being proved by neurologists and behavior observations in current research studies. Cats display a range of feelings including pleasure, frustration and affection. Other feline behavior is attributed to jealousy, and even vengefulness. Cats rely strongly on body language to communicate. Rubbing against an object, licking, and purring (sometimes) show affection. Purring can also mean that they are hurt or in pain. Kneading is an activity common to all domestic cats whereby, when in a state of ease, they alternately push out and pull in their front paws, often alternating between right and left limbs. Some cats will actually appear to "nurse" or suck on clothing during kneading. Kittens are naturally afraid of people at first, but if handled and well-cared for in the first 16 weeks, they will develop trust in the humans who care for them. To decrease the odds of a cat being unsocial or hostile towards humans. Socialized adult feral cats tend to trust only those people they have learned over time can be trusted, and can be very fearful around strangers. Cats can be extremely friendly companions. The strength of the cat–human bond is mainly correlated with how much consideration is given to the cat's feelings by his human companion. The formula for a successful relationship thus has much in common with human to human relationships. Cats can even snuggle with each other.

From a young age, dogs engage in play with one another. Dog play is made up primarily of mock fights. It is believed that this behavior, which is most common in puppies, is training for important behaviors later in life. Some of Their behavior types include aggressive, dominate, curious, fearful. happiness, playful, friendly, and submissive. They, like cats, feel the five basic emotions. Dogs value the companionship of the others in their "pack" and are sometimes distressed if they are separated from it. Typical reactions when a dog is separated from the pack are barking, howling, digging, and chewing. With the right owner, dogs can form human attachment.

and I do believe I have made my point. Those are just very few animals that came to mind. Every animal has emotions and are very smart. Human's are just to caught up in themselves to notice. I rest my case. :2thumbsup:

 

just part of the lie everyone is told that the world is put here just for humans and their enjoyment and everything else doesn't matter because we are the CHOSEN SPECIES.

lmfao

 

Good Job, lets hope your Mom looks at the facts and doesn't just hide behind the Bible and that tripe about how we supposedly have been given dominance over all living creatures.

Theres a big difference between Dominance and Stewardship, unfortunately they are both somewhat big words which tend to confuse stupid people.

 

imo your mom shouldnt be mad at you for being vegetarian, people should have the freedom to do whatever they feel is right....

i mean, i agree that animals think and have feelings, but i still eat meat,

but if you wanna be a vegetarian, go for it! :2thumbsup:

 

not trying to get into a heated argument here but there's a big difference between needing to take care of something because it wouldn't be okay without you like someone dying of a disease and needing to leave something the hell alone so that it can take care of itself. nature does it just fine when we don't get in it's way

edit: btw i completely agree that we need to protect nature from other people, we just don't need to protect nature from nature

 

offer to cook up the family pet for dinner... see how quickly minds are changed..

"but we can just get another one.. they're all the same.. fluffy's not special.. another cat/dog/bird/whatever is going to act EXACTLY the same because they are emotionless things..." right?

 

Just look at animals they have emotions and show them in a very physical way. They show more emotions than most people do. But I know there are people who can look into the eyes but dont see anything at all.
The problem is that many people dont understand body language any more...not even on other humans but many people have a completely handicapped body language, many cant even control their gestures. When those people have to deal with animals its horrible to watch- poor animals.

 

Odd when one stops to think just how much time most people spend glued to Television watching the lives of others and the nonsense media news about actors and so forth and yet be so completely self absorbed when away from the TV and in front of a living and breathing creature isnt it?

 

There're all a bunch of thieves.

 

You cannot compare Human emotions with animals emotions.Humans for the most part verbalize their emotions animals (as midgradsun said ) show their emotions with body langauge which for the most part is extremly easy do see and to understand .They show fear, joy, pain, love in very easy to read ways so for anyone to say they dont have emotion is looking very hard .

it is also mindboggeling why one has to explain any alternate lifestyle , its your life -you life it your way .I have been a vegetarian for how long now and my wife still doesn't get .

To me vegaterianism is normal and eating meat is nothing short of cave man like but to each his own ,with society drumming it into everyone heads -eat meat be normal and other predigices that society deams as the norm then sadly alternate lifestyles will always be beyond the comprehension of many.
Peace be with you

 

great thread im going to read it tomorrow

 

Anyone who has ever said this has never lived with a Crow.....

 

you are using horses and cats in your argument for vegetarianism?..........


i havnt tried either...could you get mom to send me her recipes

 

the title: animals. not just animals that are eaten.

 

good post by the way. thank you for putting that together.

one argument i've heard personally on a few occasions goes something like: the bible says that animals were put here for us to use.

at that point my mind is blown, and i pretty much just tune out.

one reason i dont talk about vegetarianism much, and much less than i used to, is that i'm not much of a pulpit vegetarian, and i really don't want to hear everyone's input. i'd rather be quiet and enjoy it myself. but then again i can be a bit of a cynical asshole at times.

 

Same mammalian brain chemicals, same emotions. However i am not aware of any other any animal besides humans that have abstract moral dilemmas.

 

i've always seen those as one of the things that differentiated us from the animals ...

i really doubt that if lions ruled the world, but still acted like they do now, they'd stop eating them zebras...

 

one moral choice for a wild animal is whether or not
to interact socially with a human , as in bestowing a kindness .

or does god just command that of them occassionally ?

 

I think they have more feelings then people. And they are unconditonal. What more could you ask for?

 

thats it.